Distributor for internal combustion engine



May 15, 1962 A. MATVEEFF ET AL DISTRIBUTOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Oct. 27, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 15, 1962 ,MATVEEFF Em 3,035,107

DISTRIBUTOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Oct. 27, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 44 f4 ig/ 11115 III/I :8 m m a h INVENTORS mam/14052 flAfVEf/F 455752? 1.60FF/74/V May 15, 1962 MATVEEFF ET AL 3,035,107

DISTRIBUTOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Oct. 27, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TORS Adf/VAMPE}? fiAfl/EAFF 9 1557-51? A. Mal -7774M United States Patent D 3,035,107 DISTRIBUTOR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTIQN ENGINE Alexander Matveelf, 27 Hester St., Piermont, N.Y., and Lester L. Hoffman, 63-61 99th St., Forest Hills, N.Y. Filed Oct. 27, 1959, Ser. No. 848,964 8 Claims. (Cl. 123-1465) The present invention relates to a novel construction for the distributor in an internal combustion engine.

In many types of internal combustion engines each cylinder is provided With an igniting device such as a spark plug, and electrical impulses must be delivered to the igniting devices of each cylinder in accurately timed relation with the movement of the pistons in the respective cylinders in order to provide for proper ignition of the fuel. The device for accomplishing this result is termed a distributor. It usually comprises an arm rotatable with the crank shaft of the engine and movable into sequential electrical connection with a series of stationary terminals each of which is connected to the ignition device of a different cylinder. The rotary arm is in turn connected to a source of relatively high voltage, usually the secondary winding of an induction coil. An intermittent current is fed to the primary winding of the induction coil in synchronism with the movement of the rotor arm so that relatively high volt-age surges are induced in the secondary winding in timed relation to the engagement of the rotor arm with each one of the stationary terminals.

The conventional ducing current in the way to achieve this intermittent inprimary winding of the induction coil is by means of a switch connected between the primary winding and the battery, which switch is opened and closed in timed relation to the movement of the distributor rotor. This switch comprises a fixed contact and a movable contact, the latter being resiliently urged against the former and being moved away from the former by means of an actuating cam driven by the crank shaft of the engine. The switch is opened and closed once for each individual cylinder firing, and the electrical circuit controlled thereby is made and broken at a precise time relative to the movement of the piston of the firing cylinder if optimum motor efficiency is to be obtained. All

of this occurs many tunes a second when the motor is in operation.

These distributors of the prior art have suffered from many disadvantages. The operation of the engine is directly dependent upon the spacing or gap between the switch contacts when they are fully separated. Since the contacts necessarily wear down in use, and since they are moved toward and away from one another between their extreme operative positions, the size of the gap between them will change with use, thus requiring frequent adjustmerit if motor inefficiency is to be avoided.

Moreover, the actuating cam itself will wear after a period of time, and this will result not only in a change in the gap between the contacts but also in a change in the .timing of the making and breaking of the primary circuit relative to the movement of the distributor rotor. Adjustment to compensate for this drawback is quite difficult, and often requires the complete replacement of the cam with a new one.

Moreover, since the switch contacts move toward and away from one another, there is an unavoidable tendency for arcs to develop between the contacts as they are being separated. Even though resistors and condensers may be incorporated into the ignition circuit in an attempt to suppress this arcing, as a practical matter they succeed only in reducing the arcing but not in eliminating it entirely. The arcing causes rapid deterioration of the contact surfaces and the forming of pits in-one surface and craters in the opposite surface. This greatly accelerates the wear of the contacts, causes appreciable changes in the length of the gap between the contacts, makes for point engagement between the contacts rather than engagement over an appreciable expanse of surface, and greatly increases contact resistance when the contacts are closed, thereby reducing the amount of current passing through the primary coil and thus reducing the power delivered to the ignition devices. Moreover, because the contacts move toward and away from one another there is a tendency for the contacts to bounce when they make engagement, thus further disturbing the desired operation of the induction coil. All in all, these disadvantages are quite troublesome, and replacement, repair or adjustment of conventional distributors is exceedingly time consuming and expensive. Cleaning of the contacts, or points, as they are often called, and adjustment of the length of the gap between them, are common and frequently required maintenance operations with gasoline engines.

in accordance with the present invention all of the above disadvantages are eliminated. Such wear as might occur in the contact surfaces is automatically compensated for. No longer need any consideration be given to the length of the gap between contacts, nor to adjustment thereof. The actuating cam is entirely eliminated. The primary winding circuit is made and broken with a wiping movement of the contacts, so that there is substantially no arcing and no contact bounce. A more effective and efficient electrical connection is achieved. A minimal number of components are required, and all components are simple, inexpensive, reliable, and easy to manufacture. The replacement and adjustment of the circuit making and breaking elements is easy and foolproof, and the proper timed relation between the making and breaking of the primary circuit of the position of the distributor rotor is readily accomplished.

As here specifically disclosed a pair of brushes are connected in the circuit of the primary winding of the induction coil. These brushes are spaced from one another and cooperate with a rotatable element having a surface over which the brushes wipe. That surface is provided with conductive paths adapted to electrically connect the brushes, those conductive paths alternating with brushengaged stations where the brushes are electrically disconnected from one another. As the brushes alternately engage the conductive path, the circuit-breaking stations, the conductive path, and so on, the circuit to the primary winding of the induction coil is alternately made and broken. The rotatable element engaged by the brushes rotates with the distributor rotor, and may be rigidly connected thereto. In the preferred forms here specifically disclosed it comprises an insulating carrier with the brushconnecting and brush-disconnecting paths or stations on the brush-engaged surface thereof. This surface is so designed that there will be no brush bounce as the parts move between circuit-making and circuit-breaking positions. The brushes are spring urged into engagement with the aforementioned surface, in a manner similar to a commutator in an electric motor, thereby providing for automatic compensation of brush wear. Whatever small amount of arcing might occur will, because of the wiping action of the brushes, cause no deleterious effects. Electrical contact of high quality will be achieved. Accurate timing is permanently built into the device, and all that is required is initial adjustment of the brushes relative to the conductive surface with which they cooperate, which adjustment, because of the rigid connection between the conductive surface and the rotor arm, is very readily accomplished even by relatively unskilled persons.

To the accomplishment of the above, and to such other objects as may hereinafter appear, the present invention relates to the construction of a distributor for an internal combustion engine as defined in the appended claims and as described in the specification, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a three-quarter perspective view of one embodiment of the distributor of the pres nt invention in assembled condition;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof with the top cover removed;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but with the rotor and brush-engaging disk removed; 7 7

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the brush-engaging disk, showing the configuration of the conductive surface thereon;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the electrical circuitry involved;

FIG. 8 is a three-quarter perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention in which the brushes engage the edge of the rotated disk rather than the lower surface thereof; and

FIG. 9 is a three-quarter perspective view of the disk of FIG. 8, taken partially from below.

The distributor, as is conventional, comprises a housing shell 2 adapted to be secured in an appropriate location on the engine, a top cover 4 being detachably held thereon by means of spring clips 6 and having extending up therefrom a central insulating tube 8 and a plurality of circumferential insulating tubes 10. The housing shell 2 is provided with a flange 11 which cooperates with a clamp (not shown) on the mounting structure therefor so that the rotative position of the housing shell 2 may be adjusted.

Leads 7 extendingfrom the spark plug or other ignition devices in each cylinder (one of which is schematically shown in FIG. 7 and designated 9) are received within the insulating tubes 10, where they connect with terminals 12 on the inner surface of the cover 4. Lead 14 extends from one end of the secondary winding 16 of induction coil 18 to the central insulating tube 8, where it makes connection with terminal 20 at the center of the inner surface of .the cover 4. The other end of the secondary winding 16 is grounded, at 22.

Extending up into the housing 2 is a shaft 26 having a gear 27 at the external end thereof for driving connection with the crankshaft of the engine. An insulating head 28 is mounted on and keyed to the upper end of the shaft 26 within the housing 2, that head 28 carrying at its upper end a rotor arm generally designated 30 and comprising a conductive strip 32 having an upwardly bent end 34 which makes constant engagement with the termihal 20 at the center of the inner surface of the cover 4 and having an outwardly extending portion 36 carrying at its end contact portion 38 which successively wipes over the terminals 12 on the cover 4 as the shaft 26, and with it the head 28, rotates. In this way current from the secondary winding 16 of the induction coil 18 is sequentially delivered to the various ignition devices in the engine cylinders. The structure as thus far described is essentially conventional.

Mounted on the head 28 for rigid rotation therewith, as by means of key slot 39, is a rotatable element 40, here shown in the form of a disk. As may best be seen in FIG. 5, the undersurface of the disk 40 is provided with a conductive coating or layer 42 having a series of conductive islands 44 formed therein, the islands 44 being spaced from the main body of the coating 42 by relatively narrow distances and being equally spaced circumferentially from one another. There is no electrical connection between the islands 44. Since the conductive surface 42 is continuous except for the islands 44, all portions of the con ductive surface 42 are electrically connected to one another.

A mounting plate 46 is located in the housing 2 beneath the disk 40. The shaft 26 extends up therethrough and rotates independently thereof. The plate 46 may pivot about the shaft 26., however, and is connected by means of link 48 to the automatic advance mechanism 50,- movement of the link 48 by the automatic advance mechanism 50 causing the plate 46 to pivot. Mounted on the plate 46, by means of screws52, is a brush housing 54 having a pair of vertical bores 56 within which brushes 5S and 59 are slidable, those brushes being urged upwardly into engagement with the disk 4%) by means of springs 60. The brush housing 54 is formed of insulating material, and an insulating sheet 6 2 is interposed between it and the mounting plate 46. A lead 64 extends from brush 58' to plate 46, the latter being connected by lead 65 to grounded terminal 67 on the casing 2. Lead 66 extends from brush 59 to terminal 68 on the brush housing 54, and lead '70 connects terminal 68 on the brush housing 54 with terminal 72 on the shell 2, that terminal being adapted to be connected to one end of the primary winding 74 of the induction coil 18, the other end of the primary winding being connected to a source of voltage 76 via the ignition switch 78. Lead 80 extends from terminal 68 to one end of capacitor 82, the other end of which is grounded at 84-.

The brushes 58 and 59 have upper surfaces slightly smaller than the islands 44 on the undersurface of the disk 40. They are circumferentially spaced from one another by distances corresponding to the circumferential spacing of the islands 44 and they are so located radially as to register with the islands 44. The springs 60 urge the brushes 58 and 59 up into engagement with the conductively coated surface of the disk 40. When the brushes 58 and 59 engage with a pair of islands 44, as is shown in FIG. 6 and schematically in FIG. 7, it will be seen that the circuit through the primary winding 74 of the induction coil 18 is open or broken-there is nothing electrically connecting the brushes 58 and 59. When, however, the disk 40 rotates sufliciently for the brushes 58 and 59 to slide off the islands 44, then both engaging the conductive coating 42, they will be electrically connected by that coating 42, and the circuit through the induction coil primary winding 74 will be closed or 'com pleted. As the disk 40 rotates the brushes 58, 59 will slide over the surface 42 and the islands 44 from one of those previously described operative positions to the other and then back to the one and so forth, thus alternately making and breaking the primary winding circuit of the induction coil 18. This will be dOne rapidly but in synchronism with the movement of the distributor rotor arm 36 because the disk 40 rotates rigidly therewith. The brushes 58 and 59 will wipe over the conductive surfaces 42 and islands 44, thus producing a self-cleaning action which will ensure satisfactory operation and excellent electrical connection over an exceptionally long period of time, and which will minimize arcing and substantially completely eliminate any deleterious effects which might result from whatever arcing does take place. It will be noted that arcing, if it occurs at all, will take place at what may be considered the trailing edges of the surface 40 adjacent the island 44, but electrical connection will be made at the leading edges of the surface 42, thus further ensuring quick and reliable establishment of the circuit through the induction coil primary winding 74. Because the spaces between the islands 44 and the conductive coating 42 are less than the width of the brushes 58 and 59 there will be no appreciable brush bounce. As the brushes or the conductive surfaces wear there will be no change in the operating characteristics of the device, since that wear will be taken up by the springs 60 and automatically compensated for. The operation of the circuit-making and-breaking structure will be comparatively noiseless.

The only adjustment which is required in the use of the distributor of the present invention is the initial lining up to the brushes" 58, 59 with the disk 40. To this end the brush mounting plate 46 may be provided with an upstanding indicator 86 (see FIG. 3), and the disk 40 may be provided with a cooperating index notch 88. With the motor shaft at a predetermined position indicated by the index mark usually provided thereon, the disk 40 will have a predetermined position since it rotates rigidly with the shaft 26. To initially adjust the timing of the distributor of the present invention the clamp engageable with the flange 11 on the housing 2 is loosened and the housing 2 is rotated until the index 86 comes opposite the disk notch 88, after which the clamp is tightened. Once this adjustment has been made no further adjustments will be required. The timing of the opening and closing of the primary circuit is permanently built into the device by means of the configuration of the conductive surface 42 and islands 44 which, it will be noted, may be applied to the disk 40 by printed circuit techniques, thus ensuring uniformity even in mass production.

The disk 40 may readily be removed from the head 28 for inspection or replacement, and since the relative position of the disk 40 and the head 28 is fixed as by keying, replacement of a disk 40 will not require readjustment of the mechanism.

The embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9 is essentially similar to that of FIGS. 2-6 except that the disk 40 adapted to be mounted on and to rotate with the shaft 26, has the conductive coating or layer 42 and the conductive islands 44 formed on the edge thereof, the brush housings 54' carrying brushes 58 and 59 which are oriented horizontally and wlrch are spring urged outwardly into engagement and electrical connection with the conductive coating or layer 42' on the edge of the disk 40. The central portion of the disk 40, at its bottom, may be hollowed out, as at 41 (see FIG. 9). The disk 4-0 may be provided with a keyway 39 to facilitate its rigid rotation with the shaft 26. The brush housing 54' may be provided with a projecting indicator element 86 which cooperates with a marking 88' on the disk 40 in order to facilitate initial adjustment of the timing of the distributor. The mode of operation of the modification disclosed in FIGS. 8 and 9 is the same as that of FIGS. 1-6. The modification of FIGS. 8 and 9 is particularly well adapted for replacement of existing conventional distributor structures, the contact-actuating cam in such existing structures being received within the recessed portion 41 of the disk 40'. Of course, that cam will, when the embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9 is employed, perform no useful function.

While but two embodiments of the present invention has been here disclosed, it will be apparent that many variations may be made therein, all within the scope of the instant invention as defined in the following claims.

We claim:

1. A distributor for an internal combustion engine operable with an induction coil having primary and secondary windings and having a rotor electrically connected to said secondary winding and cooperable with a plurality of spaced terminals; the improvement which comprises an element movable with said rotor and having a surface with successively spaced areas thereon, alternate areas being electrically conductive and electrically connected to one another, the other alternate areas being spaced from one another by a predetermined distance, and a pair of separate brushes engageable with said surface and spaced from one another by a distance corresponding to the spacing between said other alternate areas, said brushes being adapted to be separately connected in circuit to opposite ends of said primary winding, said element moving relative to said brushes so that said brushes successively engage first with one pair of alternate areas and then another, whereby said primary winding is adapted to be alternately energized and de-energized.

2. The distributor of claim 1, in which said surface is formed on a body of insulating material and comprises a layer of conductive material defining a circular track in registration with said brushes, said track including conductive islands separated from the rest of said layer by a distance less than the width of said brushes and spaced from one another by said predetermined distance, thereby defining said other alternate areas.

3. The distributor of claim 1, in which resilient means are active on said brushes for urging them into engagement with said surface.

4.' A distributor for an internal combustion engine operable with an induction coil having primary and secondary windings and having a rotor electrically connected to said secondary winding and cooperable with a plurality of spaced terminals; the improvement which comprises an element movable with said rotor and having a substantially smooth surface with successively spaced areas thereon, alternate areas being electrically conductive and electrically connected to one another and insulated from the rotor, the other alternate areas defining an electrical disconnection, said other alternate areas being spaced from one another by a predetermined distance, and also insulated from the rotor, and a pair of separate brushes engageable with said surface and spaced from one another by a distance corresponding to the spacing between said other alternate areas, said brushes being adapted to be separately connected in circuit with opposite ends of said primary winding, said element moving relative to said brushes so that said brushes successively engage first with one pair of alternate areas and then another, whereby said primary winding is adapted to be alternately energized and de-energized.

5. The distributor of claim 4, in which said surface is formed on a body of insulating material and comprises a layer of conductive material defining a circular track in registration with said brushes, said track including conductive islands separated from the rest of said layer by a distance less than the width of said brushes and spaced from one another by said predetermined distance, thereby defining said other alternate areas.

6. A distributor for an internal combustion engine operable with an induction coil having primary and secondary windings and having a rotor electrically connected to said secondary winding and cooperable with a plurality of spaced terminals; the improvement which comprises said distributor comprising a housing, a shaft extending into said housing and rotatable relative thereto, said rotor being operatively connected to said shaft for rotation therewith, an element operatively connected to said shaft and rotatable therewith and with said rotor, said element having a surface on the underside thereof with successively spaced areas thereon, alternate areas being electrically conductive and electrically connected to one another and insulated from said shaft, the other alternate areas defining an electrical disconnection, a brush mount in said housing beneath the underside of said element, a pair of separate brushes carried by said mount and engageable with said surface, said brushes being cireumferentially spaced from one another by a distance corresponding to the spacing between said other alternate areas, said brushes being adapted to be separately connected in circuit with opposite ends of said primary primary winding, said element rotating relative to said brushes so that said brushes succmsively engage first with one pair of alternate areas and then with the other, whereby said primary winding is adapted to be alternately energized and de-energized.

7. The distributor of claim 6, in which said surface is formed on a body of insulating material and comprises a layer of conductive material defining a circular track in registration with said brushes, said track including conductive islands separated from the rest of said layer by a distance less than the width of said brushes and spaced from one another by said predetermined distance, thereby defining said other alternate areas.

8. A distributor for an internal combustion engine operable with an induction coil having primary and secondary windings and having a rotor electrically connected to said secondary winding and cooperable with a plurality of spaced terminals; the improvement which comprises said distributor comprising a housing, a shaft extending into said housing and rotatable relative thereto, saidrotor being operatively connected to said shaft for rotation therewith, an element operatively connected to said shaft and rotatale therewith and With said rotor, said element having a substantially smooth surface on the edge thereof with successively spaced areas thereon, alternateareas being electrically conductive and electrically connected to one another and insulated from said shaft, the other alternate areas defining an electrical disconnection, a brush mount in said housing opposite said edge of said element, a pair of separate brushes carried by said mount and engageable With said surface, said brushes being circumferentially spaced from one another by a distance s corresponding to the spacing between, said other alternate areas, said brushes being adapted to be separately connected in circuit with opposite ends of said primary Winding, said element rotating relative to said brushes so that said brushes successively engage first With one pair of alternate areas and then with the other, whereby said primary Winding is adapted to be alternately energized and de-energized.

References Cited in the tile or this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,611,826 Fischer-Hinnen .d Dec. 21, 1926 2,510,067 Callander June 6, 1950 2,792,460 Bleeze May 14, 1957 2,830,140 Robertson Apr. 8, 1958 2,839,622 Billings June 17, 1958 

